Land Ordinance of 1785
I have numbered the paragraphs!
1. Be it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled that the
territory ceded by individual states to the United States which have been
purchased of the Indiana inhabitants, shall be disposed of in the following
manner --
3. A surveyor from each state shall be appointed by Congress or a Committee
of the States, who shall take an oath for the faithful discharge of his
duty, before the geographer of the United States, who is hereby
empowered and directed to administer the same; and the like oath shall
be administered to each chain carrier, by the surveyor under whom he acts.
2. The geographer, (under whose direction the surveyors shall act) shall
occasionally form such regulations for their conduct, as he shall deem
necessary; and shall have authority to suspend them for misconduct in
office, and shall make report of the same to Congress or to the
Committee of the States; and he shall make report in case of sickness,
death, or resignation of any surveyor.
4. The surveyors as they are respectively qualified shall proceed to divide
the said territory into townships of six miles square, by lines running
due north and south, and others crossing these at right angles, unless
where the boundaries of the late Indian purchases may render the same
impracticable, and then they shall depart from this rule no farther than
such particular circumstances may require.
5. There shall be allowed to a surveyor for the surveying of a township at
the rate of two dollars per mile, including the wages of chain carriers,
markers, and every other expense, and so in proportion for every
fractional part of a township.
6. The first line running north and south as aforesaid, shall begin on the
river Ohio, at a point that shall be found to be due north from the
termination of a line which has been run as the southern boundary of the
state of Pennsylvania; and the first line running east and west shall
begin at the same point, and shall extend throughout the whole
territory. The geographer shall designate the townships or fractional
parts of townships, by numbers progressively from south to north, always
beginning each range with No. 1; and the ranges shall be distinguished
by their progressive numbers to the westward. The first range extending
from the Ohio to the lake Erie, being marked No. 1. The geographer shall
personally attend to the running of the first east and west line, and
shall take the latitude of the extremes of the first north and south
line, and of the mouths of the principal rivers.
7. The lines shall be measured with a chain; shall be plainly marked by
chaps on the trees, and exactly described on a plat, whereon shall be
noted by the surveyor, at their proper distances all mines, salt
springs, salt licks and mill seats, that shall come to his knowledge,
and all water courses, mountains, and other remarkable and permanent
things, over or near which such lines shall pass, and also the quantity
of the lands.
8. The plats of the townships respectively, shall be marked by subdivision
into lots of one mile square, or 640 acres, in the same direction as the
external lines, and numbered from 1 to 36. Always beginning the
succeeding range of the lots with the number next to that with which the
preceding one concluded. And where from the causes before mentioned,
only a fractional part of a township shall be surveyed, the lots
protracted thereon, shall bear the same numbers as if the townships had
been entire. And the surveyors in running the external lines of the
townships, shall at the interval of every mile, mark corners for the
lots which are adjacent, always designating the same in a different
manner from those of the townships.
9. The geographer and surveyors, shall pay the utmost attention to the
variation of the magnetic needle; and shall run and note all lines by
the true meridian, certifying with every plat what was the variation at
the times of running the lines thereon noted.
10. As soon a five ranges of townships, and fractional parts of townships,
in the direction from south to north, shall have been surveyed the geographer
shall transmit plats
thereof to the board of treasury, who shall record the same with the
report, in well bound books to be kept for that purpose. And the
geographer shall make similar -- from time to time of every five ranges
as they may be surveyed. The secretary at war shall have recourse
thereto, and shall take by lot therefrom, a number of townships and
fractional parts of townships, as well those to be sold entire, as those
to be sold in lots, as will be equal to one seventh part of the whole of
such five ranges, as nearly as may be, for the use of the late
continental army; and he shall make a similar draught from time to time,
until a sufficient quantity is drawn from the return to satisfy the
military claims, to be applied in manner hereinafter directed. The board
of treasury shall then cause the remaining numbers, as well those to be
sold entire, as those to be sold in lots, to be drawn for in the name of
the thirteen states respectively, according to the quotas in the last
preceding requisition on the states; provided that in case more land
than its proportion is allotted for sale in any states at any
distribution, a deduction be made therefor at the next.
11. The board of treasury shall transmit a copy of the original plats,
previously noting thereon, the townships and fractional parts of
townships, which shall have fallen to the several states by the
distribution aforesaid, to the commissioners of the loan-office of the
several states, who, after giving notice of not less than two nor more
than six months by causing advertisements to be posted up at the court
houses, or other noted places in every county and to be inserted in one
newspaper published in the states of their residence respectively, shall
proceed to sell the townships or fractional parts, at public vendue, in
the following manner, viz.
The township or fractional parts of a
township being No. 1 in the first range,
shall be sold entire, and not by lots;
and No. 2 in the same range by lots and not entire,
and thus in alternate order through the whole of the first range. The
township or fractional part of a township No. 1 in the second range,
shall be sold by lots, and not entire, and No. 2 in the same range
and not by lots, and so in alternate order through the whole of the
second range; and the third range shall be sold in the same manner as
the first, and the fourth in the same manner as the second, and thus
alternately throughout all the ranges; /{Begin deleted text}/so that one
half of the territory be sold [?] townships or fractional parts of
townships, and the other half in less:/{End deleted text}/ provided that
none of the lands within the said territory, be sold under the price of
one dollar the acre, to be paid in specie or loan-office certificates
reduced to specie value by the scale of depreciation, or certificates of
liquidated debts of the United States, including interest, besides the
expence of the survey and other charges thereon, which are hereby rated
at thirty six dollars the township, in specie or certificates as
aforesaid, and so in the same proportion for a fractional part of a
township or of a lot, to be paid at the time of sales, in failure of
which payment, the said lands shall again be offered for sale.
There shall be reserved for the United States out of every township, the
four lots, being numbered, 8, 11, 26, 29, and out of every fractional
part of a township, so many lots of the same numbers as shall be found
thereon. There shall be reserved the lot No. 16 of every township, for
the maintenance of public schools within the said township. Also one
third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines, to be sold, or
otherwise disposed of, as Congress shall hereafter direct.
When any township or fractional part of a township shall have been sold
as aforesaid, and the money or certificates received therefor, the loan
officer shall deliver a deed in the following terms.
The United States of America, to all to whom these presents shall come
greeting.
Know ye, That for the consideration of..........dollars, we have granted
and hereby do grant and confirm unto.......... the township or
fractional part of the township [as the case may be] numbered [?]
excepting therefrom the lots No. 8, 11, 26 and 29 /{Begin deleted
text}/for future sale, and the lot No. 16 for the maintenance of public
schools,/{End deleted text}/ and one third part of all gold, silver,
lead and copper mines within the same. To have the said..........his
heirs and assigns forever, [or if more than one purchaser] to the
said.......... and their heirs and assigns forever as tenants in common.
In witness whereof, A.B. commissioner of the loan office in the state
of..........hath hereunto set his hand, and affixed his seal
this..........day of..........in the year of our Lord..........and of
the Independence of the United States of America the
And when any township or fractional part of a township shall be sold by
lots as aforesaid, the commissioner of the loan office shall deliver a
deed therefor in the following form.
The United States of America, to all to whom these presents shall come
greeting.
Know ye, that for the consideration of..........dollars, we have
granted, and hereby do grant and confirm unto.......... the lot or lots
(as the case may be) numbered in the township or fractional part of the
township (as the case may be) numbered..........excepting and reserving
one third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines within the
same. To have to the said..........his heirs and assigns forever; or if
more than one purchaser, to the said.......... and their heirs and
assigns forever as tenants in com- In witness whereof, A. B.
commissioner of the loan-office in the state of..........hath hereunto
set his hand, and affixed his seal, this..........day of..........in the
year of our Lord..........and of our independence the
Which deeds shall be recorded in proper books, and shall be certified to
have been recorded, previous to their being delivered to the purchaser.
The commissioner of the loan-office respectively, shall transmit to the
board of treasury every three months, an account of the townships,
fractional parts of townships and lots committed to their charge,
specifying therein the names of the persons to whom sold; and the sums
of money or certificates received for the same. And shall cause all
certificates by them received, to be struck through with a circular
punch; and they shall be duly charged in the books of the treasury, with
the amount of the monies or certificates, distinguishing the same, by
them received as aforesaid.
If any township or fractional part of township or lot, remains unsold
for eighteen months, after the plat shall have been received by the
commissioners of the loan office, the same shall be returned to the
board of treasury, and shall be sold in such manner as Congress may
hereafter direct.
And whereas Congress by their resolutions of September 16th and 18th, in
the year 1776, and the 12th of August 1780, stipulated grants of land to
the officers and soldiers who had engaged or should engage in the
service of the United States during the war, and continue therein to the
close of the same, or until discharged by Congress, and to the
representatives of such officers and soldiers as should be slain by the
enemy, in the following proportions, to wit.
To a major general 1100 acres, to a brigadier 850, to a colonel 500, to
a lieutenant colonel 450, to a major 400, to a captain 300, to a
lieutenant 200, to an ensign 150, and to a noncommissioned officer and
soldier 100. For complying therefore with such engagements, be it
ordained, That the secretary at war, from the returns in his office, or
such other sufficient evidence as the nature of the case may admit,
determine who are the objects of the above resolutions and engagements,
and the quantity of lands to which such persons or their representatives
are respectively entitled, and cause the townships or fractional parts
of townships herein before reserved for the use of the late continental
army, to be drawn for in such manner as he shall deem expedient, to
answer the purpose of an impartial distribution.
He shall from time to time transmit certificates, to the commissioners
of the loan-offices of the different states, to the lines of which the
military claimants respectively belong, specifying the name and rank of
the party, the terms of his engagement, and time of his service, and the
division, brigade, regiment or company to which he belonged, the
quantity of land he is entitled to, and the township out of which his
portion is to be taken.
The commissioners of the loan-offices shall execute deeds for such
undivided proportion in manner and form herein before mentioned, varying
only in such a degree as to make the same conformable to the certificate
from the secretary at war.
Where any military claimants of bounty in lands shall not belong to the
line of any particular state, similar certificates shall be sent to the
board of treasury, who shall execute deeds to the parties for the same.
The board of treasury, and the commissioners of the loan-offices in the
states, shall within eighteen months, return receipts to the secretary
at war, for all deeds which have been delivered, as also all the
original deeds which remain in their hands for want of applicants, which
deeds so returned shall be preserved in the office until the parties, or
their representatives require the same.
Saving and confirming always, to all officers and soldiers entitled to
lands on the northwest side of the Ohio, by donation or bounty from the
commonwealth of Virginia, and to all persons claiming under them, all
rights to which they are so entitled, under the deed of cession executed
by the delegates for the state of Virginia, on the first day of March,
1784, and the act of Congress, accepting the same; and to the end that
the said rights may be fully and effectually secured, according to the
true intent and meaning of the said deed of cession and act aforesaid:
Be it ordained, that no part of the land included between the rivers
called little Miami and Scioto, on the northwest side of the river Ohio,
be sold, or in any manner alienated, until there shall first have been
laid off and appropriated for the said officers and soldiers, and
persons claiming under them, the lands they are entitled to, agreeably
to the said deed of cession and act of Congress accepting the same.